


Bump in the Night

by Magical_Persona



Series: The Seiros Investigation Team [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Haunted House, Mysteries, Series, all the relationships are background things, but they're in the series, ghost story, no beta we die like men, not all of them will be touched on in every story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-07 16:42:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20979086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Persona/pseuds/Magical_Persona
Summary: Claude always assumed Lysithea was freaking out about the old tower for no good reason. Everyone claimed it to be haunted, but ghosts couldn't actually exist. When a student claims to have been attacked Claude and his team take it upon themselves to uncover the truth.I've never written mysteries or anything spooky before I just wanted to step out of my comfort zone with this series. Constructive criticism accepted and wanted.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I make no guarantees that the historical information about Garreg Mach is in anyway accurate.

There was a chill in the air that sent most students scurrying between buildings. It also made it increasingly more difficult to catch sight of Linhardt or Bernadetta. Those two were more likely to stay near their rooms or warmer places within the monastery walls. The sun was just beginning to dip below the monastery when there was a sharp, blood curdling scream from the abandoned tower.

Claude found himself turning on his heel and running in that direction. Someone could be hurt and in need of help. With all of the kidnappings and the rumors of people being attacked in town at night it was safer to look into ever disturbance. Even as he got there a small crowd of people had gathered. Manuela was pushing through the crowd of students surrounding a frightened young lady.

“Something attacked me!” She wailed pointing to the tower. “It made an awful howling noise before scratching me!”

Claude couldn’t see much from where he was standing, but she sounded genuinely terrified. He felt someone brush against his arm. Claude didn’t have to look to know it was Ashe, the small archer for the Blue Lions. The boy made a habit of sneaking up on people, it was no small feat to sneak up on Claude, but Ashe seemed to be able to do so every time.

“She doesn’t sound like she’s lying,” the grey-haired boy pointed out quietly. “I’ve always thought the tower was creepy. People say it’s actually haunted.” A shiver worked its way up the boy’s spine.

It was easy to see where the rumors started. Claude was almost certain the vines ensnaring the crumbling tower were the only things holding the structure together. The windows had long been boarded up and the door had an awful habit of slamming shut and locking unsuspecting victims inside. You really only made that mistake once. Sitting in the unending darkness for hours with nothing but the wind whistling through the cracks for company was not his idea of a good time.

“Do you really think it’s haunted?” Ignatz asked, looking up at Claude.

“It’s certainly creepy enough to make an appearance in a ghost story,” Claude replied. His attention was focused on the girl being escorted to the infirmary by Manuela. Byleth and Hanneman were shooing students away.

“Well, Leader Man,” Linhardt yawned. “Are we taking up the case?”

“Linhardt, you’ve been helping Manuela, right?” Claude asked. Without waiting for an answer he continued. “See if you can find out what scratched her. We’ll look into the history of the tower. See if there’s any reason it could be haunted.”

“This is going to interfere with my naps, isn’t it?” Linhardt asked. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance you’ll forget about this.”

Claude shook his head. “Nope, this might prove to be interesting.” Or at the very least it would be an entertaining distraction. They were turning up nothing in their search for the truth about Byleth. A solid, easy to solve case would be a nice change of pace.

Linhardt sighed, walking toward Manuela muttering something under his breath. Ghosts. Of course this was what Claude would choose to investigate. This was going to be a nightmare.

Ashe and Ignatz followed at Claude’s heels as the began their walk to the library.

“What do you know about the tower?” Claude asked.

Ashe shook his head, “Just that it’s creepy and the tower seems to shake and creak when you’re inside. I always feel like it’s one strong breeze away from falling.”

Ignatz was nodding in agreement. “It’s just used for storage now because we no longer need it. When Fodlan was at war and the church sat in the only neutral ground it was important to keep everything under surveillance, but now that there’s peace it isn’t really necessary and no one’s felt the need to keep  _ all  _ the towers in peak condition.”

“So it’s fallen into disuse, but where did the ghost story start?” Claude asked. “When did someone decide it was haunted.”

“I can ask Mercedes,” Ashe offered. “She’s really good at telling ghost stories, maybe she knows?”

“Good idea, you do that,” Claude replied. “Ignatz and I will be in the library. We might find death records or more information on the tower there. Meet us there when you’re finished.”

“The library? Not Base?” Ashe asked.

“No point in using the base just yet,” Claude explained. “We aren’t exactly operating in secret with this.”

“Alright,” Ashe replied with a sharp nod before heading off toward the chapel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are mentions of suicide in this chapter. Not a character's or anything, but they're discussing ghost stories and deaths. So...yeah, just be aware.

“The old tower?” Mercedes asked. “I’ve heard a few things about it. Someone told me there were knights who patrolled the monastery grounds who died falling down the stairs, breaking his neck about halfway down. They say you can still hear the clinking of his armor as he continues his rounds with no idea that he’s passed on.”

Ashe was just now starting to feel the icy chill of fear inch up his spine. The sun was setting much too quickly for his liking. The shadows were growing longer, like the claws of some great beast looking for an unsuspecting victim.

Mercedes paused to glance in the direction of the tower. “There’s also the spirit of a young girl who was pushed from the tower by a jealous friend. They were fighting over a boy and with one push through the window at the top she was falling to her death. They say if you aren’t careful she’ll push you too, looking to enact her revenge on anyone she can.”

“People would do that?” Ashe asked with a shake of his head.

“Oh, yes. It’s not uncommon for people to get so caught up in the people they feel attraction for that they are willing to kill others simply to prove their love.”

The thought made Ashe shudder. Just when he thought he might be beginning to understand how women worked he was reminded that he would probably never understand. How could Sylvain be so willing to mess around when girls when they were capable of things like that? Did Sylvain have a death wish or something? Now that Ashe was thinking about it the answer was probably.

“Oh! And then there’s the story about the man who hung himself,” Mercede’s soft voice, something Ashe normally found comforting was now unsettling. “They say he used the tower as a place to hide away from the conflict after both sides recruited him. He had family on both sides of the war. He took his own life rather than be forced to fight for either side. I once heard someone call him Matthew. It’s said that when the night is clear you can see him standing at the window looking toward the alliance just waiting for the day the fighting ends. Of course the windows are all boarded up now. Probably because people were tired of dealing with the terror of seeing apparitions staring back at them.”

“T-that’s why they boarded up the windows?” Ashe asked. He was trying not to let the clod trickl of fear leak into every part of his being. This was an awful idea. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep for the rest of the month!

Mercedes nodded, seeming not to notice the nervousness of her companion. “If you want the complaints to stop there’s really no better way than to take away the ability to see into the tower. Haven’t you ever wondered why they boarded all the windows not just the ones that were broken?”

Ashe shook his head. “Not really. I’ve just tried to stay far, far away from the tower.”

The woman nodded. “After what happened today I don’t really blame you. Though I wonder if it really was a ghost.”

“What else could it be? Ashe asked, trying to hold his composure even as his heart jumped into his throat.

“Well, this is just speculation, but some people think if a ghost spends too much time trapped on Fodlan, too scared or unable to move on that they become something else. Who they were in life no longer matters and they become twisted into demons.”

“Demons!” Ashe managed to squeak out. His heart was in his throat now, threatening to suffocate him with every breath he took. “Surely you don’t think there would really be demons here.”

Mercedes shrugged. “There is truly no way of knowing. Normally, I’d say they can’t set foot on consecrated ground, but that is supposedly true of ghosts as well. We simply don’t know what they’re capable of. There is no way to study them or even prove with certainty their existence.”

“Looks like quite a few people have died in the church through the years,” Ignatz mumbled looking through the large book he and Claude were sharing.

“This name here, Matthew Aarnold.” Claude pointed at the name. “He died in the tower, but the cause of death isn’t listed. I’m thinking, if it is a ghost this guy fits the bill better than anyone else we’ve come across.”

“That’s it then?” Ignatz asked, stepping away from the table long enough to stretch. “Do you really think we’ll find a ghost?”

Claude’s first instinct was to laugh, but there were legends of ghosts or spirits in every culture across the world. Even legends had to get their start somewhere. “Maybe. I’m not going to tell you we’re going to find something, but I don’t think it’s impossible either. Think about it. Ghosts, spirits, whatever you wish to call them have been around for as long as people have been dying. I don’t think anyone should say that it’s all been a lie.”

“I am never asking Mercedes about ghosts ever again,” Ashe promised as he lowered himself into a chair.

“You look like you may have seen a ghost on your way here,” Claude teased. “Did you learn anything?”

“Girls are crazy and I think we should revoke Mercedes’ right to tell ghost stories,” Ashe replied with a shudder. “But I got three stories out of her.”

About halfway through Ashe’s scattered retelling of the tales Linhardt arrived, taking what he deemed to be the most comfortable seat and laid his pillow on the table. Ashe looked down only once when he nearly bumped Linhardt’s head while flailing his hands about.

“Honestly, I’m not sure which one sounds more believable,” Ignatz murmured. “Maybe the suicide? I mean that’s the one that came with a name, plus it matches the name we found in the book.” He looked to Claude for help.

Claude was nodding slowly. “That could be the case, though, in the book it didn’t list a cause of death. I feel like that would be a pretty obvious cause right?”

“Consider that it could be unknown, but through retellings people picked what they believed to be the most likely cause,” Linhardt added sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

“That’s true, I suppose,” Ignatz agreed cautiously.

“Did you find anything out about the girl?” Claude asked.

Linhardt sighed. “Something certainly scratched her. I don’t think it was her falling into anything either. It was three scratches going down her arm. Like she used the arm to protect herself.”

Claude nodded, taking in the information. “Okay, everyone get some rest. We’re going to be exploring the tower tonight. Let’s see if we can find what attacked that girl.”

“Tonight!” Ashe exclaimed. “In the dark?!”

“Are we really going to look for some ghost?” Linhardt sounded annoyed. “This is going to mess with my sleep schedule.”

“Yes, we’re really going to look for some ghost,” Claude replied. “And yes, tonight. Ghosts come out at night, right? Something about the darkness making them more powerful or something. Chances are it’s not going to be a ghost, but who knows, maybe we’ll find something that will blow our minds!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, but I really wanted to have this little scene in here.

“When I told you to put together a team I thought you’d be uncovering mysteries like why Byleth has the Crest of Flames, not is the tower really haunted,” Hilda admitted as she handed over the tower key.

Claude laced his hands behind his head. “Who says I can’t do both?”

HIlda rolled her eyes, pulling the key closer to her. “You owe me big time for this, Claude. I had to clean out the tower  _ by myself _ to get you this. Don’t you ruin everything! It took a long time to organize that whole building!”

The whole building was an exaggeration, but that wasn’t the point right now. The point was, she had put a lot of time and effort into that when she clearly had better things to do. All because she was a sucker for Claude’s pretty face. She risked an internal sigh. Falling for Claude was the last thing she needed to be doing.

Claude threw his hands in the air, that sly smile etched onto his features. “Hey, calm down. I appreciate it when you finally put effort into things. I promise I will do my best not to mess up everything you did.”

“I mean it, Claude!” Hilda scolded as the house leader snatched the key from her.

“Thanks, Hilda! I really owe you one!” He said before dashing out the door.

“You better remember that!” She shouted after him, shaking her head, though a small smile played at her lips.

Claude was making friends. When she first met Claude he was caught up in his fake smiles and charming laughter. Now his smiles were more genuine. He even seemed to be getting along with Lorenz. This was good for him, whether he realized it at the moment or not.

She sighed. What was she going to do with herself? She really needed to stop falling for people who had bigger ambitions than getting married and settling down. But, then life would be so boring if she settled for people like that.


	4. Chapter 4

The dark tower reached into the starlit sky. Four boys stood at its base looking at the building looming over them. Claude produced a key from his pocket, the metallic sheen glinting in the torch light.

“This is a bad idea,” Ashe’s voice was strained as Claude reached the door.

They shouldn’t be doing this. They were going to get caught and then they were going to get in trouble. Who knew what their punishment would be for this. Ashe took a deep breath before closing his eyes. Thinking like that wasn’t going to help. They were going into the scary, haunted tower to look for a ghost. He needed all of his focus to move forward.

Ignatz was on Claude’s heels, taking the source of light with him. For the first time Ashe realized how truly dark it was. The moon was new, refusing to cast even the faintest light. The only thing they had to light their path were the twinkling stars and a single torch.

“Well, I guess we’re going to find a ghost,” Ashe said with a nervous laugh, glancing to Linhardt.

The healer’s mouth was set in a thin line. “It appears that way.”

Ashe was taken back by the sharpness of Linhardt’s words. Since Claude had brought them together Ashe had come to accept the other’s seemingly crass tone, but this was new. He didn’t think he’d seen Linhardt like this, not even when he was woken from a nap. Normally, he just gave you a look and a sigh that made you feel like the biggest disappointment in the world.

“Are you okay?” Ashe asked, voice soft and gentle.

“I can’t say I’m looking forward to the potential of meeting a ghost,” Linhardt replied.

There was no time for a response. The clicking of a lock and screeching of the door swinging open shot through the air.

Ashe winced, glancing around to make sure they hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention. He slipped closer to Claude and Ignatz. While he didn’t particularly want to be any closer to the all-encompassing darkness, he also didn’t like being out in the open.

Linhardt for his part was transfixed by the boarded up windows and haphazardly crisscrossing vines. His skin was growing cold and he knew it wasn’t from the chill in the air. He wanted to leave, go back and get some sleep. It wasn’t worth this. He didn’t need to know if something came after death, or if he would be forced to stay on this plane of existence. Besides, it wasn’t like they needed him. Three people was plenty to look into a haunted building. Right?

Something moved across the lower windows and it took all of his self control not to leave. It was probably just the wind moving one of the leaves. There was nothing to be afraid of. Ghosts were just stories used to scare kids into staying in bed after the lights were out. He had nothing to be afraid of. Probably.

“Linhardt!” Claude’s voice was much too sharp for the occasion.

The house leader was waving him over. Linhardt took one last deep breath before forcing his feet to move forward. Well, he was always telling himself any time a question presented itself he’d do everything in his power to investigate the answer thoroughly. Now was time to make good on that.

“I’m awake,” he muttered, joining them at the door.

“Great!” Claude was beaming.

If nothing else he and Ignatz seemed excited by the prospect of learning something new. Linhardt supposed he should have been excited as well, but his growing apprehension wasn’t exactly conducive to a learning experience. At least he wasn’t the only nervous one. Ashe looked like he was about to burst. They weren’t even in the building yet and his green eyes were blown wide.

“We’ll stay together at first,” Claude explained as they stepped into the darkness. “Then we’ll each go off alone and see if that changes what we find.”

“A-alone?” Ashe’s voice shook as he shrank closer to the light.

“Why not?” Claude replied. “I’ve read that ghosts tend to be more active when it’s one or two people.”

“Could it not be two people then?” Ashe asked.

There was a hint of pleading in his voice Claude couldn’t ignore. “Sure, buddy system then. Linhardt and I will explore the downstairs first and you and Ignatz can start by walking the stairs. Just walk up and then back down, okay? We don’t know how structurally sound these floors are.”

Ashe resisted the urge to whine. That wasn’t exactly what he had been hoping the outcome would be. Still, he couldn’t be picky could he?

“When you guys get back we’ll switch, see if someone finds anything different,” Claude added. “Whoever’s on the stairs gets the torch though.” As much as he wanted information he was only so willing to twist his own ankle or have someone get hurt.

“Sounds fair to me,” Ignatz replied. “Let’s go, Ashe.” He walked simply expecting Ashe to follow.

Claude watched them go with a frown. Ashe was scared, it wasn’t something the archer had tried to hide, which Claude could appreciate. It also meant Ignatz really needed to take that into account while they were off on their own. “C’mon Ig, use that big head of yours.”

“What was that?” Linhardt asked.

“Nothing, just talking to myself,” Claude replied. “Come on, let’s see if we can catch ourselves a ghost.”


	5. Chapter 5

“How do you plan on catching this ghost?” Linhardt asked, almost afraid of the answer he was going to receive.

“Like this: Hey Ghosts! It’s me, ya boy!” Claude called. “Is there anyone here? I saw what you did to that girl the other day. It’s pretty rude of you to just attack an innocent lady like that. Do you have anything to say for yourself?!”

Linhardt’s shoulders fell, that’s what he had been afraid of. “This is just a thought, of course, but perhaps we should rethink antagonizing them. If there are ghosts here it is possible that upsetting them will only get us hurt.”

Claude had the decency to look sheepish, if only for a moment. “You’re probably right. Hey, Linhardt, thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

Claude laced his fingers behind his head spinning back and forth for a moment. “Well, I wanted to thank you for coming, even though you look like you’re about to jump out of your skin. I get the feeling you’re not a big fan of spooky places.”

Linhardt shook his head. “On the contrary, I don’t mind ‘spooky places’ as you put it. I simply have an aversion to death, in whatever form it takes.” A cold chill played his spine like a piano. “I feel like we’re being watched. It’s not exactly the most pleasant feeling.”

Claude could agree with that. Since they set foot in here the feeling of eyes being on him had been unsettling to say the least. Claude wasn’t a devout believer in anything, but the way the wind whistled through the cracks in the stone set him on edge.

It was easy to believe there was something else here. Something in the corner of your eye, following you around the room. A being lurking in the shadows that you couldn’t quite make out. The floor above them creaked and both of them hoped it was the rest of their group, not something more sinister. Something lurking just out of reach. Biding its time, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

A soft, limber rope coiled around Linhardt’s leg causing the healer to lurch in Claude’s direction. There was only the slightest resistance as he pulled away, but something butted against his heel, knocking the already off balance boy into the house leader.

“Easy there,” Claude said catching the smaller boy against his chest. “Try to take smaller steps, that way you’re less likely to be put off balance by something unexpected.”

Linhardt shook his head, an action Claude felt more than he saw. “Something touched my leg. Wrapped around it and then pushed me when I tried to get away.”

Linhardt was shaking, but he managed to right himself. Standing on his own two feet the healer took a few uneasy breaths.

“What did it feel like?” Claude asked. “A hand? Fingers? A foot?”

“Like a rope, or a vine?” Linhardt sounded uncertain. “I can’t explain it.”

“When it pushed you what did it feel like?” Claude asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Linhardt thought for a moment and Claude wished there had been silence. Rather, the world around them was filled with sound. The creaking of the stairs, soft whistles from the wind, odd whispers that he hoped were from the other two. Worse than that were the shadows that moved. Especially the ones dancing around the staircase. They seemed to slink along the stairs, creatures crawling through the dark. Waiting to trip any unsuspecting students.

“Like a fist coming out of the floor,” Linhardt replied.

His voice was so loud and sudden Claude had to fight the urge to jump. He’d been so focused on the shadows he’d very nearly forgotten he’d asked a question. He opened his mouth to respond when there was screaming from above, the sound of someone tumbling down the stairs and an inhuman spitting yowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claude is a meme and I would like to pretend to apologize for making a very blatant Buzzfeed Unsolved reference. I regret nothing.


	6. Chapter 6

Ash nervously followed along behind Ignats as they made their way up the stairs. He risked looking up the spiraling staircase, but all that graced him was a deep darkness. Past the torch’s light he couldn’t make out a thing. The boarded up windows did nothing for the ambient lighting of the dusty tower.

“It’s okay to be scared,” Ignatz said gently.

Ashe jumped at the sound of the friendly voice. “R-right. I’m sorry about that. I know there’s probably nothing there, but I just keep thinking what if. Sorry.”

“It’s nothing to apologize for.” Despite the situation a small smile tugged at his lips. This must have been how everyone else felt when they told him he had nothing to apologize for. It was odd for the shoe to be on the other foot. “I’ve always heard being scared is good, at least a little bit. It keeps your eyes sharp and helps you perceive dangers you wouldn’t otherwise know were there.”

Ashe worried at his bottom lip. He’d never heard anyone say that before, but it sounded true enough. Even if it was just Ignatz trying to make him feel better, he appreciated it. “Thank you.”

About a quarter of the way up Ignatz stopped. “I think we’re far enough away that the light won’t bother them.” He kicked nervously at the stair. “How are we supposed to do this?”

Ashe shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never wanted to see a ghost before. Usually I just avoid them.”

The other boy just hummed thoughtfully as he recalled the reading he’d done on the topic. It was never a sure thing, researching things with only eye witness accounts. He couldn’t say it was his favorite past time. He prefered concrete things, or even better going somewhere and looking at the findings himself. At least then he could get a good look at the scenery for his paintings as well.

“Maybe if we sit down?” Ashe suggested. “Maybe they’re more afraid of us as we are of them?”

The reasoning behind the suggestion was a long shot, but Ignatz, coming up with no better idea shrugged. When they had both settled on the step they sat in silence for a few more minutes.

“Should we introduce ourselves?” Ignatz looked around curiously. It felt a little weird to be talking to the air, but if there was something out there that would be a way to find out. Right? As far as he knew not too many people shied away from friendly conversation. Even if they were only talking out of politeness.

“We could try.” Ashe looked into the darkness that surrounded them. He knew Claude and Linhardt weren’t that far away. Only down a few stairs. It wasn’t like they were entirely cut off from each other. Still, there was something about the smothering darkness that grated on him. It frayed his nerves. The thought that someone or something could be sitting there in hopes of hurting them. Or maybe the ghosts just scared people for kicks. He couldn’t imagine haunting an old, dusty tower was still fun after a few hundred years.

“Um. Well, I’m Ignatz and this is Ashe.” The blonde gestured to his companion. “We just wanted to talk is all. If anyone is here and you’d like to show yourself. Or if you can’t do that, maybe you can I dunno, ruffle Ashe’s hair or something.”

“Why me?!” Ashe squeaked, though the feeling of betrayal vanished when he saw Ignatz smile.

“Exposure therapy.” Ignatz replied. “If you interact with what scares you enough, it won’t scare you any more.”

“You’re awful,” Ashe smacked Ignatz’s leg lightly. There was no bite to his words and, truth be told, he did appreciate the teasing. He was about to reply in kind when something brushed against his leg. He had been starting to relax, his legs falling just out of reach of their light.

He now pulled his knees close, hugging them against his chest as a startled sound escaped him.

“Ashe?” Ignatz asked, but his voice went unheard.

Ashe’s mind was racing. Something had brushed against his leg. It hadn’t felt like a breeze, rather a shadow had pushed against him. Making its presence known. He couldn’t see what lurked in the darkness. What manner of monster waited to pull him to a shadow grave? What if his body disappeared forever? What if his friends never knew what happened to him?

A shadow launched itself at him. He couldn’t see much. Even with the torch light the shadowed blur was difficult to make out. Ashe screamed, standing quickly to avoid the monster charging at him. In his haste he lost his footing, slipping down the stairs, banging his head off at least two. His cries of fear were joined by an inhuman growling that he was sure would haunt his nightmares.

“Ashe!” Ignatz called, moving with purpose down to his new friend. About the time the torch cast light over the scene Claude and Linhardt arrived.

Ashe lay with his head leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. His eyes looked dazed, like he was still coming to terms with being alive. On his chest sat a large black and white cat who looked rather proud of himself. He was cleaning one of his paws as Ashe slowly regained his composure.

One look at the cat and Ashe was laughing. It was a laugh of relief that had him struggling to breathe. “Boot, you’re the one who’s been causing all the trouble.” He was still giggling as he scooped the cat into his arms.

“We’ve been played for fools, bt a cat no less,” Claude rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Looks like our work here is done.”

Ashe butted his forehead against the cat’s, eliciting a loud string of purrs. “I never expected it to turn out like this. I thought I was going to die you silly cat!”

“I take it you know this cat, then?” Ignatz asked, giving the creature a scratch behind the ears.

“Yeah,” Ashe replied a bit embarrassed. “Caspar and I have been feeding him. He was making a nuisance of himself and we both kind of fell for him. He’s a sweet cat.”

“Boot.” Linhardt said thoughtfully. “That certainly sounds like a name Caspar would come up with.”

Ashe simply nodded, not wanting to tell Linhardt Caspar’s first choice had been Destrutor. One of Ashe’s greatest accomplishments was probably talking Caspar out of that name. The four of them made their way outside, all eyes on the cat until the door was closed behind them. There was no need for him to get trapped inside the tower again.

“He must have been scared,” Claude said as they watched the cat run off. “That girl probably stepped on his tail and that’s when he attacked her. Get trapped in that old tower for who knows how long and then some kid steps on me. That’d make me pretty upset too.”

Ashe nodded, embarrassment flooding him now that they were back under the stars. Of course ghosts weren’t real. It had just been Boot all along. The silly cat had played them for suckers. He looked back at the tower as they walked away. It stood peacefully against the night sky, vines waving in the steady breeze. There, toward the top, in one of the boarded up windows as spectral face poked through. A man, with a sad smile waved at him.

Ashe turned to see where his friends were. To ask if they’d just seen the same thing, but the torch Ignatz held was getting further away as Claude’s laughter drifted through the paths.

“Guys wait up!” Came Ashe’s shrill squeak as he ran to catch up with his friends. He’d had enough of that tower for a lifetime!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed my little spooky story. I was going to put this a little later in the series, but it's October, the month for spooks.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my writing and are looking for ways to support me you can by me a ko-fi here: https://ko-fi.com/magical_persona


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